METAL HAS NO BORDERS

Anna C. Chaos is the solo mastermind behind the São Paulo-based experimental / extreme act Umbilichaos. On the project’s recent record titled Mourning Carnivals From Now On, the crushing and evolving pieces revealed roots pointing towards Godflesh, Swans, and Author & Punisher (where did the album land in our 2023 awards?). We spoke to Anna about the new release, breadth of inspirations, politics of her music, and being a transwoman within the metal scene.

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Last year, you released the album titled Mourning Carnivals From Now On, which we awarded as one of the best experimental metal albums of the year. The album title sounds like… quite an esoteric phrase. Can you provide some insight on what the title infers?

Firstly, thank you for enjoying the album. Regarding the title, both in songs and albums, I like titles that have meanings with secondary relationships to the themes, but that can at the same time tie the whole thing together. I would say it is less esoteric than it seems; it has a bit of acid humor, referring to something typically Brazilian, in musical and cultural terms, but with the musical content simply not referring to anything carnivalesque. And, of course, a sad reminder of how the country’s previous government managed the pandemic, and the number of deaths as a result. It’s also a wish, perhaps vain, that things don’t go on as they used to.

I’m reminded of intense acts like Godflesh or Swans when I listen to your music. Do you recall who was your first exposure to extreme, experimental music?

I believe it was these artists you mentioned, in addition to Melvins, Neurosis, Earth, Opeth, and Celtic Frost, artists with a more aggressive and dark aesthetic. Regarding experimentalism a little outside that aesthetic, I would mention that Helmet, Tool, Soundgarden, and King Crimson were equally important.

Showcasing the spectrum of your heaviness, you’ve previously alluded to being influenced by Meshuggah and Black Sabbath. Have you seen them live? What is your favorite album by each band?

Meshuggah, I’ve seen live. Black Sabbath, no. I was very upset that Bill Ward didn’t join the band in their last stint with the original lineup, in addition to the exorbitant ticket prices. Nonetheless, I chose to continue listening to their records [laughs]. Regarding Meshuggah favorites, I’m between Nothing and Catch 33; they’re both gigantic aesthetic references. For Sabbath, Vol. 4 is certainly the most important album of my life. Although, any of their first five records would easily be a favorite. The same goes for Meshuggah, until Obzen.

Last year, we spoke to trans-frontwoman Mia Priest of the Singaporean thrash act Nightmare AD. Can you share your experience as a trans-woman in the Brazilian metal scene?

Interesting, I’ll check the band later. Well, my experience could hardly generalize that of women in heavy music, or of trans people in a larger context. But, I believe that overall, people have been respectful over the years. I think they’re always shocked that a woman alone would make so much noise. I always say that the problem is not that rock / metal is exclusive, but that society as a whole is. There are always traces of oppression in the freest spaces. So, any problems regarding being a trans woman, for me, tend to be greater outside of the musical world.

Are there songs in your catalog that speak on behalf of your political or feminist views?

Yes and no, you tell me [laughs]. The point is that I’m not interested in writing lyrics that are too obvious or specific, I like them to be open to interpretation. I myself give different meanings to them, over time. And I think this is very difficult when you mention political and social issues directly, without it becoming a repetition of slogans. On the other hand, I believe that everything is political, and even works that seem distant from this aspect, carry themes in some way. Despite the way I express certain experiences and emotions that seem very subjective and symbolic, they still come from dealing with my own existence in a certain cultural, social, and political context. Furthermore, I prefer to always make my sociopolitical stances clear, even if it doesn’t come across in the lyrics. I think this helps to alienate people aligned with any kind of reactionary ideas.

Recently, you released redux versions of your albums from over a decade ago. What did you discover about the evolution of yourself as an artist when re-recording Entrails?

That my riffs, arrangements, and compositions were great from day one [laughs]. Seriously though, the only reason was that I would like to have a better sound than I was able to capture on the original recordings. And over time, I started to feel very dissatisfied with the amount of repetitions of each part during the live experience. It was my intention from the beginning to replicate the repetition used by Swans and Earth, but my feelings about it changed over time. So, I thought I already had enough reasons to embark on this journey. Other than that, it was really very interesting to go back to these works and realize that I wouldn’t change anything except the repetitions, even though more than fifteen years have passed and I think I’ve grown as an artist.

Another artist that is stylistically similar to Umbilichaos would be San Diego’s industrial project Author & Punisher, who recently recruited a guitarist and a more melodic sound on Krüller. While you have released a couple collaborative albums, do you believe that Umbilichaos will always remain a solo project?

You’re not the first person to tell me about this artist, but I still haven’t been able to stop and listen to it. I need to put it on my calendar [laughs]. About your question, anything is possible, but I believe that the most likely thing is to continue as a solo artist. Dealing with people’s demands, needs and schedules is quite complicated. Even though it’s hard work, I can create and play when it suits me best; it’s a practical point too.

Do you have any interest in exploring a more conventional, melodic direction with Umbilichaos?

I think I’ve already explored this aspect a little throughout my work, especially in the first four releases. Of course, it’s my perception of conventional melody, I may be wrong [laughs]. But I became increasingly interested in exploring more dissonant and strange harmonies, chords and melodies. Which can be well listened in Mourning Carnivals… and the next albums. But, I still really like beautiful melodies. I just don’t want to do something that I feel like is going back to what I’ve already done. If some composition calls for a conventional melody in a way that I feel like I’m challenging myself, it’s likely it will happen.